A collector should respect these rules :
- avoid shell collecting in protected areas (many countries do not allow collecting)
- be carefull with shell environment : leave the area like it was before you passed by
- Never move and collect a shell sitting on eggs (this might destroy the eggs)
- Only collect GEM shells, leave the bad looking ones for breeding
- Do not collect a full area's population, be selective, just pick up what you need
- Avoid juvenile specimens (poor value and not be able to reproduce...)
- Avoid telling shelling spots to people you do not know (this could destroy a great area)
- Do not break any coral formations to get a shell (very bad for environment)

Personally, I do not only collect live seashells (like many people do). I must
say that some fresh dead specimens I already found may have a drilled hole somewhere, sign of their death, but is it so important ? I really prefer to get a GEM drilled dead shell than a GEM living one. Many collectors go that way now, and this is a real great thing !

But i agree with the fact that sometimes you will never get the fresh-dead specimen of some rare or uncommon shells. And so if you find it alive, you will surely take it... This, no collector should say it is not true... or they would be lying ! It is really difficult, or near impossible, for a collector who finds a shell wich he had been searching for years, alive and let it go... Anyway, if you buy a live taken shell it is exactly like you killed it yourself, so...

2. Where to find fresh-dead seashells ?

Finding great dead seashells is easy, but you will need to experiment a lot and improve some skills... In this section I won't speak about shells found on the beach... anybody is able to do so. I am going to expose you to the means to find dead shells when snorkeling. First, you must not look at anything exceept shells (like fish, etc...), keep your eyes on the bottom of the sea !

Of course, if you do not know what you are looking for, you will not find anything. Read shell books to have memorize the general shapes & colors of seashells.
Try to swim in a depth from 1 to 10/15 meters, not more (difficult to see after 10-15 m). Try to swim slowly, to let your eyes adapt themselves to the new sensation wich is
created by the water.

Of course, if you wear glasses, try to swim with something which allows you to see normally (many means exists to do so), I have such aids...
Trust that it is difficult to look for any shell type (possible after hundreds of hours of searching...). For example, Conus species have often a great camouflage, so you will need to get used to the shape of this family. If you don't focus on this, you will swim passed specimens you won't find... It is sometime good to concentrate your efforts on a particular family or specie (same for live shell search).

Of course there are some places to look at carefully : the spots where I always find great stuff are :
- places where the currents amass rubble, broken parts of shells and entire ones.
For example it happens often between two big rocks near the coast, where the coast is like a "V".
- around octopus homes, as octopus are great shell hunters, they will often leave good looking shells. To see octopus home, it is easy, look for shells, part of shells & broken shells accumulation.
In some countries, octopus will brake the shell, in other no.
- in rock big holes in "U", the current will not allow the shell to roll, it will stay in place.

3. Where to observe live seashells ?

This only depends on the type of shell you arelooking for. Remember that the majority of shells feed during night time. So during the day they are generally hidden.
Two ways for a shell t ohide : burrowing in the sand or hiding in shadow spots : under rocks, in rock crevices, in coral formations. You must look everywhere, you may need an underwater light.

Example of searching : flipping dead coral plates (and turn them back after...)

- Example of shells which usually burrow : conidae, Volutidae, most Bivalvia, Strombidae, Cassidae, Olividae, Harpidae, Mitridae, Terebridae, Bullidae,...
- Example of shells wich not burrow usually : Cypraeidae, some Conidae, Ovulidae, Triviidae, most Ranellidae, most Muricidae, ...

Another important thing : knowing their habitat. When you find a specie, have a look around to determine the habitat. Read books and online articles, so when you swim, you'll look exactly where you need to.

The most known means to look for seashells, is lifting rocks or dead pieces of coral. Yes it is really the easiest way to proceed. But always put the rock or dead coral back like it was ! If you leave it up-side-down, you will kill all the life hiding itself from the sun's powerfull rays, and this life is very important to all life cycles. Also, many shells feed on these organisms... So please turn back rocks and dead corals after lifting. This is one of the best ways to proceed for Cypraeidae search.

To find shells like cowries for example, you can look in dark holes, crevices.
The cowries are often on the roof of the cavity... and rarely on the bottom. Live cowries when mantle is out may be very difficult to spot :

This cowrie (Cypraea spurca) with mantle out really looks like grass don't you think ?

What about this cowrie (Cypraea spurca) ?

For sand dewelers, you will need to remove the first cm (0-5cm) of sand around the rocks, or in a rock hole full of sand (often Conus). If you see a long line in sand, follow it and dig at the two extremities... the shell (typical of Olividae) will be at one.

Example of searching : Conus gubernator leehmani trying to burry pure sand

Example of searching : Conus striatus & Conus canonicus partially burried

You may also look in sea-grass environments. Many shells hide in grass fields, just like Conus.

I can sometimes have strange positions... but for shells I could do anything... :)

 

4. Examples with pictures

Example of flipping dead coral plates :

Let's flipp this nice dead coral plate :

Some shells may appear...

Let's flipp this other dead coral plate :

A cone shell is there but still under some more coral fragments :

Let's move somemore corals :